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Dixon R, Malave L, Thompson R, Wu S, Li Y, Sadik N, Anacker C. Sex-specific and developmental effects of early life adversity on stress reactivity are rescued by postnatal knockdown of 5-HT 1A autoreceptors. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01999-9. [PMID: 39396089 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01999-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2024] [Accepted: 09/20/2024] [Indexed: 10/14/2024]
Abstract
Early Life Adversity (ELA) predisposes to stress hypersensitivity in adulthood, but neurobiological mechanisms that protect from the enduring effects of ELA are poorly understood. Serotonin 1A (5HT1A) autoreceptors in the raphé nuclei regulate adult stress vulnerability, but whether 5HT1A could be targeted to prevent ELA effects on susceptibility to future stressors is unknown. Here, we exposed mice with postnatal knockdown of 5HT1A autoreceptors to the limited bedding and nesting model of ELA from postnatal day (P)3-10 and tested behavioral, neuroendocrine, neurogenic, and neuroinflammatory responses to an acute swim stress in male and female mice in adolescence (P35) and in adulthood (P56). In females, ELA decreased raphé 5HT neuron activity in adulthood and increased passive coping with the acute swim stress, corticosterone levels, neuronal activity, and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) levels in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. ELA also reduced neurogenesis in the ventral dentate gyrus (vDG) of the hippocampus, an important mediator of individual differences in stress susceptibility, and increased microglia activation in the PVN and vDG. These effects of ELA were specific to females and manifested predominantly in adulthood, but not earlier on in adolescence. Postnatal knockdown of 5HT1A autoreceptors prevented these effects of ELA on 5HT neuron activity, stress reactivity, neurogenesis, and neuroinflammation in adult female mice. Our findings demonstrate that ELA induces long-lasting and sex-specific impairments in the serotonin system, stress reactivity, and vDG function, and identify 5HT1A autoreceptors as potential targets to prevent these enduring effects of ELA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rushell Dixon
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, and Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH), New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Lauren Malave
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, and Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH), New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Rory Thompson
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, and Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH), New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Serena Wu
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, and Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH), New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Yifei Li
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, and Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH), New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Noah Sadik
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, and Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH), New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Christoph Anacker
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, and Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH), New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Columbia University Institute for Developmental Sciences, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH)/New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Columbia University Stem Cell Initiative (CSCI), Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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Dixon R, Malave L, Thompson R, Wu S, Li Y, Sadik N, Anacker C. Sex-specific and Developmental Effects of Early Life Adversity on Stress Reactivity are Rescued by Postnatal Knockdown of 5-HT 1A Autoreceptors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.22.576344. [PMID: 38328253 PMCID: PMC10849559 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.22.576344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Early Life Adversity (ELA) predisposes to stress hypersensitivity in adulthood, but neurobiological mechanisms that protect from the enduring effects of ELA are poorly understood. Serotonin 1A (5HT 1A ) autoreceptors in the raphé nuclei regulate adult stress vulnerability, but whether 5HT 1A could be targeted to prevent ELA effects on susceptibility to future stressors is unknown. Here, we exposed mice with postnatal knockdown of 5HT 1A autoreceptors to the limited bedding and nesting model of ELA from postnatal day (P)3-10 and tested behavioral, neuroendocrine, neurogenic, and neuroinflammatory responses to an acute swim stress in male and female mice in adolescence (P35) and in adulthood (P56). In females, ELA decreased raphé 5HT neuron activity in adulthood and increased passive coping with the acute swim stress, corticosterone levels, neuronal activity, and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) levels in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. ELA also reduced neurogenesis in the ventral dentate gyrus (vDG) of the hippocampus, an important mediator of individual differences in stress susceptibility, and increased microglia activation in the PVN and vDG. These effects of ELA were specific to females and manifested predominantly in adulthood, but not earlier on in adolescence. Postnatal knockdown of 5HT 1A autoreceptors prevented these effects of ELA on 5HT neuron activity, stress reactivity, neurogenesis, and neuroinflammation in adult female mice. Our findings demonstrate that ELA induces long-lasting and sex-specific impairments in the serotonin system, stress reactivity, and vDG function, and identify 5HT 1A autoreceptors as potential targets to prevent these enduring effects of ELA.
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Sanguino-Gómez J, Huijgens S, den Hartog M, Schenk IJM, Kluck W, Versluis TD, Krugers HJ. Neural correlates of learning and memory are altered by early-life stress. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2024; 213:107952. [PMID: 38906243 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
The ability to learn and remember, which is fundamental for behavioral adaptation, is susceptible to stressful experiences during the early postnatal period, such as abnormal levels of maternal care. The exact mechanisms underlying these effects still remain elusive. This study examined whether early life stress (ELS) alters memory and brain activation patterns in male mice. Therefore, we examined the expression of the immediate early genes (IEGs) c-Fos and Arc in the dentate gyrus (DG) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) after training and memory retrieval in a fear conditioning task. Furthermore, we examined the potential of RU38486 (RU486), a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, to mitigate ELS-induced memory deficits by blocking stress signalling during adolescence. Arc::dVenus reporter mice, which allow investigating experience-dependent expression of the immediate early gene Arc also at more remote time points, were exposed to ELS by housing dams and offspring with limited bedding and nesting material (LBN) between postnatal days (PND) 2-9 and trained in a fear conditioning task at adult age. We found that ELS reduced both fear acquisition and contextual memory retrieval. RU486 did not prevent these effects. ELS reduced the number of Arc::dVenus+ cells in DG and BLA after training, while the number of c-Fos+ cells were left unaffected. After memory retrieval, ELS decreased c-Fos+ cells in the ventral DG and BLA. ELS also altered the colocalization of c-Fos+ cells with Arc::dVenus+ cells in the ventral DG, possibly indicating impaired engram allocation in the ventral DG after memory retrieval. In conclusion, this study shows that ELS alters neuronal activation patterns after fear acquisition and retrieval, which may provide mechanistic insights into enduring impact of ELS on the processing of fear memories, possibly via changes in cell (co-) activation and engram cell allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stefan Huijgens
- Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maxine den Hartog
- Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Inim J M Schenk
- Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wenya Kluck
- Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tamara D Versluis
- Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Harm J Krugers
- Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Sanguino-Gómez J, Krugers HJ. Early-life stress impairs acquisition and retrieval of fear memories: sex-effects, corticosterone modulation, and partial prevention by targeting glucocorticoid receptors at adolescent age. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 31:100636. [PMID: 38883213 PMCID: PMC11177066 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The early postnatal period is a sensitive time window that is characterized by several neurodevelopmental processes that define neuronal architecture and function later in life. Here, we examined in young adult mice, using an auditory fear conditioning paradigm, whether stress during the early postnatal period 1) impacts fear acquisition and memory consolidation in male and female mice; 2) alters the fear responsiveness to corticosterone and 3) whether effects of early-life stress (ELS) can be prevented by treating mice with a glucocorticoid (GR) antagonist at adolescence. Male and female mice were exposed to a limited nesting and bedding model of ELS from postnatal day (PND) 2-9 and injected i.p with RU38486 (RU486) at adolescent age (PND 28-30). At two months of age, mice were trained in the fear conditioning (FC) paradigm (with and without post training administration of corticosterone - CORT) and freezing behavior during fear acquisition and contextual and auditory memory retrieval was scored. We observed that ELS impaired fear acquisition specifically in male mice and reduced both contextual and auditory memory retrieval in male and female mice. Acute post-training administration of CORT increased freezing levels during auditory memory retrieval in female mice but reduced freezing levels during the tone presentation in particular in control males. Treatment with RU486 prevented ELS-effects in acquisition in male mice and in females during auditory memory retrieval. In conclusion, this study highlights the long-lasting consequences of early-life stress on fear memory processing and further illustrates 1) the potential of a glucocorticoid antagonist intervention during adolescence to mitigate these effects and 2) the partial modulation of the auditory retrieval upon post training administration of CORT, with all these effects being sex-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Harm J Krugers
- Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Vorhees CV, Amos-Kroohs RM, Williams MT. Long-term effects of Preweaning environmental impoverishment on neurobehavioral and neurocognitive outcomes in Sprague Dawley rats: An early environmental stress model. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2024; 103:107356. [PMID: 38719082 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2024.107356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Developmental stress, including low socioeconomic status (SES), can induce dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and result in long-term changes in stress reactivity. Children in lower SES conditions often experience more stress than those in other SES groups. There are multiple model systems of early environmental stress (EES), one of which is reduced cage bedding. Here we tested the effects of both prenatal and lactational EES in rats on a range of long-term behavioral and cognitive outcomes. There were persistent reductions in body weight in the EES rats in both sexes. The behavioral results showed no effects on learning and memory using tests of spatial learning or cognitive flexibility in the Morris water maze, egocentric learning in the Cincinnati water maze, or working memory in the radial-arm maze. There were no effects on basic open-field activity, elevated zero-maze, or forced swim test, but EES rats had reduced time in the dark side of the light/dark test. When rats were drug challenged in the open-field with d-amphetamine or MK-801, there were no differential responses to d-amphetamine, but the EES group under responded compared with the drug-induced hyperactivity in the control group in both males and females. The objective was to establish a developmental stress model that induced cognitive deficits and to the extent that this method did not cause such effects it was not the model we sought. However, the data showed several long-term effects of EES, including the reduced response to the irreversible NMDA antagonist MK-801. This effect merits further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles V Vorhees
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
| | - Robyn M Amos-Kroohs
- Robyn Amos-Kroohs, Virginia Department of Forensic Science, 700 North Fifth St, Richmond, VA 23219, USA.
| | - Michael T Williams
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
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de Kloet ER, Joëls M. The cortisol switch between vulnerability and resilience. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:20-34. [PMID: 36599967 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01934-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
In concert with neuropeptides and transmitters, the end products of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the glucocorticoid hormones cortisol and corticosterone (CORT), promote resilience: i.e., the ability to cope with threats, adversity, and trauma. To exert this protective action, CORT activates mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR) that operate in a complementary manner -as an on/off switch- to coordinate circadian events, stress-coping, and adaptation. The evolutionary older limbic MR facilitates contextual memory retrieval and supports an on-switch in the selection of stress-coping styles at a low cost. The rise in circulating CORT concentration after stress subsequently activates a GR-mediated off-switch underlying recovery of homeostasis by providing the energy for restraining the primary stress reactions and promoting cognitive control over emotional reactivity. GR activation facilitates contextual memory storage of the experience to enable future stress-coping. Such complementary MR-GR-mediated actions involve rapid non-genomic and slower gene-mediated mechanisms; they are time-dependent, conditional, and sexually dimorphic, and depend on genetic background and prior experience. If coping fails, GR activation impairs cognitive control and promotes emotional arousal which eventually may compromise resilience. Such breakdown of resilience involves a transition to a chronic stress construct, where information processing is crashed; it leads to an imbalanced MR-GR switch and hence increased vulnerability. Novel MR-GR modulators are becoming available that may reset a dysregulated stress response system to reinstate the cognitive flexibility required for resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Ronald de Kloet
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Leiden/Amsterdam Center of Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Marian Joëls
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Brosens N, Simon C, Kessels HW, Lucassen PJ, Krugers HJ. Early life stress lastingly alters the function and AMPA-receptor composition of glutamatergic synapses in the hippocampus of male mice. J Neuroendocrinol 2023; 35:e13346. [PMID: 37901923 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
Early postnatal life is a sensitive period of development that shapes brain structure and function later in life. Exposure to stress during this critical time window can alter brain development and may enhance the susceptibility to psychopathology and neurodegenerative disorders later in life. The developmental effects of early life stress (ELS) on synaptic function are not fully understood, but could provide mechanistic insights into how ELS modifies later brain function and disease risk. We here assessed the effects of ELS on synaptic function and composition in the hippocampus of male mice. Mice were subjected to ELS by housing dams and pups with limited bedding and nesting material from postnatal days (P) 2-9. Synaptic strength was measured in terms of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) in the hippocampal dentate gyrus at three different developmental stages: the early postnatal phase (P9), preadolescence (P21, at weaning) and adulthood at 3 months of age (3MO). Hippocampal synaptosome fractions were isolated from P9 and 3MO tissue and analyzed for protein content to assess postsynaptic composition. Finally, dendritic spine density was assessed in the DG at 3MO. At P9, ELS increased mEPSC frequency and amplitude. In parallel, synaptic composition was altered as PSD-95, GluA3 and GluN2B content were significantly decreased. The increased mEPSC frequency was sustained up to 3MO, at which age, GluA3 content was significantly increased. No differences were found in dendritic spine density. These findings highlight how ELS affects the development of hippocampal synapses, which could provide valuable insight into mechanisms how ELS alters brain function later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niek Brosens
- SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Carla Simon
- SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Paul J Lucassen
- SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Harm J Krugers
- SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Lonstein JS, Vitale EM, Olekanma D, McLocklin A, Pence N, Bredewold R, Veenema AH, Johnson AW, Burt SA. Anxiety, aggression, reward sensitivity, and forebrain dopamine receptor expression in a laboratory rat model of early-life disadvantage. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22421. [PMID: 37860907 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Despite early-life disadvantage (ELD) in humans being a highly heterogenous construct, it consistently predicts negative neurobehavioral outcomes. The numerous environmental contributors and neural mechanisms underlying ELD remain unclear, though. We used a laboratory rat model to evaluate the effects of limited resources and/or heavy metal exposure on mothers and their adult male and female offspring. Dams and litters were chronically exposed to restricted (1-cm deep) or ample (4-cm deep) home cage bedding postpartum, with or without lead acetate (0.1%) in their drinking water from insemination through 1-week postweaning. Restricted-bedding mothers showed more pup-directed behaviors and behavioral fragmentation, while lead-exposed mothers showed more nestbuilding. Restricted bedding-raised male offspring showed higher anxiety and aggression. Either restricted bedding or lead exposure impaired goal-directed performance in a reinforcer devaluation task in females, whereas restricted bedding alone disrupted it in males. Lead exposure, but not limited bedding, also reduced sucrose reward sensitivity in a progressive ratio task in females. D1 and D2 receptor mRNA in the medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens (NAc) were each affected by the early-life treatments and differently between the sexes. Most notably, adult males (but not females) exposed to both early-life treatments had greatly increased D1 receptor mRNA in the NAc core. These results illuminate neural mechanisms through which ELD threatens neurobehavioral development and highlight forebrain dopamine as a factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph S Lonstein
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Erika M Vitale
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Doris Olekanma
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Andrew McLocklin
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Nathan Pence
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Remco Bredewold
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Alexa H Veenema
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Alexander W Johnson
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - S Alexandra Burt
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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Linsen F, Broeder C, Sep MSC, Verhoeven JE, Bet PM, Penninx BWJH, Meijer OC, Vinkers CH. Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR) antagonism as disease-modifying treatment for MDD with childhood trauma: protocol of the RESET-medication randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:331. [PMID: 37170109 PMCID: PMC10173560 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-04830-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a heterogeneous psychiatric disorder. Childhood trauma (CT, emotional/physical/sexual abuse or neglect before the age of 18) is one of the largest and most consistent risk factors for development and poor course of MDD. Overactivity of the HPA-axis and the stress hormone cortisol is thought to play a role in the vulnerability for MDD following exposure to CT. Rodent experiments showed that antagonism of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) at adult age reversed the effects of early life stress. Similarly, we aim to target MDD in individuals with CT exposure using the GR antagonist mifepristone. METHODS The RESET-medication study is a placebo-controlled double-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) which aims to include 158 adults with MDD and CT. Participants will be randomized (1:1) to a 7-day treatment arm of mifepristone (1200 mg/day) or a control arm (placebo). Participants are allowed to receive usual care for MDD including antidepressants. Measurements include three face-to-face meetings at baseline (T0), day 8 (T1), week 6 (T2), and two online follow-up meetings at 12 weeks (T3) and 6 months (T4). A subgroup of participants (N = 80) are included in a fMRI sub-study (T0, T2). The main study outcome will be depressive symptom severity as measured with the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Rated (IDS-SR) at T2. Secondary outcomes include, among others, depressive symptom severity at other time points, disability, anxiety, sleep and subjective stress. To address underlying mechanisms mifepristone plasma levels, cortisol, inflammation, epigenetic regulation and fMRI measurements are obtained. DISCUSSION The RESET-medication study will provide clinical evidence whether GR antagonism is a disease-modifying treatment for MDD in individuals exposed to CT. If effective, this hypothesis-driven approach may extend to other psychiatric disorders where CT plays an important role. TRIAL REGISTRATION The trial protocol has been registered 01-02-2022 on ClinicalTrials.gov with ID "NCT05217758".
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Affiliation(s)
- F Linsen
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands.
- Department of Anatomy & Neurosciences, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands.
| | - C Broeder
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
- Department of Anatomy & Neurosciences, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - M S C Sep
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
- GGZ inGeest Mental Health Care, Amsterdam, 1081 HJ, The Netherlands
| | - J E Verhoeven
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
- GGZ inGeest Mental Health Care, Amsterdam, 1081 HJ, The Netherlands
| | - P M Bet
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, the Netherlands
| | - B W J H Penninx
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health, Mental Health Program and Amsterdam Neuroscience, Mood, Anxiety, Psychosis, Sleep & Stress Program, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - O C Meijer
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 ZA, the Netherlands
- Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 ZA, the Netherlands
| | - C H Vinkers
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
- Department of Anatomy & Neurosciences, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
- GGZ inGeest Mental Health Care, Amsterdam, 1081 HJ, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health, Mental Health Program and Amsterdam Neuroscience, Mood, Anxiety, Psychosis, Sleep & Stress Program, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Karst H, Droogers WJ, van der Weerd N, Damsteegt R, van Kroonenburg N, Sarabdjitsingh RA, Joëls M. Acceleration of GABA-switch after early life stress changes mouse prefrontal glutamatergic transmission. Neuropharmacology 2023; 234:109543. [PMID: 37061088 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) alters the excitation-inhibition-balance (EI-balance) in various rodent brain areas and may be responsible for behavioral impairment later in life. The EI-balance is (amongst others) influenced by the switch of GABAergic transmission from excitatory to inhibitory, the so-called "GABA-switch". Here, we investigated how ELS affects the GABA-switch in mouse infralimbic Prefrontal Cortex layer 2/3 neurons, using the limited-nesting-and-bedding model. In ELS mice, the GABA-switch occurred already between postnatal day (P) 6 and P9, as opposed to P15-P21 in controls. This was associated with increased expression of the inward chloride transporter NKCC1, compared to the outward chloride transporter KCC2, both of which are important for the intracellular chloride concentration and, hence, the GABA reversal potential (Erev). Chloride transporters are not only important for regulating chloride concentration postsynaptically, but also presynaptically. Depending on the Erev of GABA, presynaptic GABAA receptor stimulation causes a depolarization or hyperpolarization, and thereby enhanced or reduced fusion of glutamate vesicles respectively, in turn changing the frequency of miniature postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs). In accordance, bumetanide, a blocker of NKCC1, shifted the Erev GABA towards more hyperpolarized levels in P9 control mice and reduced the mEPSC frequency. Other modulators of chloride transporters, e.g. VU0463271 (a KCC2 antagonist) and aldosterone -which increases NKCC1 expression-did not affect postsynaptic Erev in ELS P9 mice, but did increase the mEPSC frequency. We conclude that the mouse GABA-switch is accelerated after ELS, affecting both the pre- and postsynaptic chloride homeostasis, the former altering glutamatergic transmission. This may considerably affect brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henk Karst
- Dept Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands.
| | - Wouter J Droogers
- Dept Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Nelleke van der Weerd
- Dept Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Ruth Damsteegt
- Dept Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Nicky van Kroonenburg
- Dept Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - R Angela Sarabdjitsingh
- Dept Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Marian Joëls
- Dept Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands; University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
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de Carvalho G, Khoja S, Haile MT, Chen LY. Early life adversity impaired dorsal striatal synaptic transmission and behavioral adaptability to appropriate action selection in a sex-dependent manner. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2023; 15:1128640. [PMID: 37091877 PMCID: PMC10116150 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2023.1128640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) is a major health burden in the United States, with 62% of adults reporting at least one adverse childhood experience. These experiences during critical stages of brain development can perturb the development of neural circuits that mediate sensory cue processing and behavioral regulation. Recent studies have reported that ELA impaired the maturation of dendritic spines on neurons in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) but not in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS). The DMS and DLS are part of two distinct corticostriatal circuits that have been extensively implicated in behavioral flexibility by regulating and integrating action selection with the reward value of those actions. To date, no studies have investigated the multifaceted effects of ELA on aspects of behavioral flexibility that require alternating between different action selection strategies or higher-order cognitive processes, and the underlying synaptic transmission in corticostriatal circuitries. To address this, we employed whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology to assess the effects of ELA on synaptic transmission in the DMS and DLS. We also investigated the effects of ELA on the ability to update action control in response to outcome devaluation in an instrumental learning paradigm and reversal of action-outcome contingency in a water T-maze paradigm. At the circuit level, ELA decreased corticostriatal glutamate transmission in male but not in female mice. Interestingly, in DMS, glutamate transmission is decreased in male ELA mice, but increased in female ELA mice. ELA impaired the ability to update action control in response to reward devaluation in a context that promotes goal-directedness in male mice and induced deficits in reversal learning. Overall, our findings demonstrate the sex- and region-dependent effects of ELA on behavioral flexibility and underlying corticostriatal glutamate transmission. By establishing a link between ELA and circuit mechanisms underlying behavioral flexibility, our findings will begin to identify novel molecular mechanisms that can represent strategies for treating behavioral inflexibility in individuals who experienced early life traumatic incidents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory de Carvalho
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Sheraz Khoja
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Mulatwa T Haile
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Lulu Y Chen
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- UCI-Conte Center, UCI-NIMH, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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12
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Pardo GVE, Alfaro Saca EE, Becerra Flores CT, Delgado Casós WF, Pacheco-Otalora LF. Limited bedding nesting paradigm alters maternal behavior and pup's early developmental milestones but did not induce anxiety- or depressive-like behavior in two different inbred mice. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22357. [PMID: 36567650 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Animal models are crucial to understanding the mechanisms underlying the deleterious consequences of early-life stress. Here, we aimed to examine the effect of the limited bedding nesting (LBN) paradigm on early life development milestones and anxiety- and/or depression-like behavior in adolescent and adult mice from two inbred mice of both sexes. C57BL/6NCrl and BALB/c litters were exposed to the LBN paradigm postnatal day (PND) 2-9. Maternal behavior recording occurred on PND 3-9, and pups were weighed daily and examined to verify the eye-opening on PND 10-22. The male and female offspring underwent evaluation in the open field test, elevated plus-maze, and the forced swimming test during adolescence (PND 45-49) and adulthood (PND 75-79). We found that LBN impaired the maternal behavior patterns of both strain dams, mainly on C57BL/6NCrl strain. Also, LBN delayed the pup's eye-opening time and reduced body weight gain, impacting C57BL/6NCrl pups more. We also found that LBN decreased anxiety-related indices in adolescent and adult male but not female mice of both strains. Furthermore, LBN decreased depression-related indices only adolescent female and male BALB/c and female but not male C57BL/6NCrl mice. These findings reinforce the evidence that the LBN paradigm impairs the maternal behavior pattern and pup's early developmental milestones but does not induce anxiety- or depressive-like behavior outcomes during later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace V E Pardo
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Neurociencia, Instituto Científico de Investigación, Universidad Andina del Cusco, Cuzco, Peru
| | - Eros Emanuel Alfaro Saca
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Neurociencia, Instituto Científico de Investigación, Universidad Andina del Cusco, Cuzco, Peru
| | | | - Walter Fares Delgado Casós
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Neurociencia, Instituto Científico de Investigación, Universidad Andina del Cusco, Cuzco, Peru
| | - Luis F Pacheco-Otalora
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Neurociencia, Instituto Científico de Investigación, Universidad Andina del Cusco, Cuzco, Peru
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13
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Buurstede JC, Umeoka EHL, da Silva MS, Krugers HJ, Joëls M, Meijer OC. Application of a pharmacological transcriptome filter identifies a shortlist of mouse glucocorticoid receptor target genes associated with memory consolidation. Neuropharmacology 2022; 216:109186. [PMID: 35835211 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids regulate memory consolidation, facilitating long-term storage of relevant information to adequately respond to future stressors in similar conditions. This effect of glucocorticoids is well-established and is observed in multiple types of behaviour that depend on various brain regions. By and large, higher glucocorticoid levels strengthen event-related memory, while inhibition of glucocorticoid signalling impairs consolidation. The mechanism underlying this glucocorticoid effect remains unclear, but it likely involves the transcriptional effects of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). We here used a powerful paradigm to investigate the transcriptional effects of GR in the dorsal hippocampus of mice after training in an auditory fear conditioning task, aiming to identify a shortlist of GR target genes associated to memory consolidation. Therefore, we utilized in an explorative study the properties of selective GR modulators (CORT108297 and CORT118335), alongside the endogenous agonist corticosterone and the classical GR antagonist RU486, to pinpoint GR-dependent transcriptional changes. First, we confirmed that glucocorticoids can modulate memory strength via GR activation. Subsequently, by assessing the specific effects of the available GR-ligands on memory strength, we established a pharmacological filter which we imposed on the hippocampal transcriptome data. This identified a manageable shortlist of eight genes by which glucocorticoids may modulate memory consolidation, warranting in-depth follow-up. Overall, we showcase the strength of the concept of pharmacological transcriptome filtering, which can be readily applied to other research topics with an established role of glucocorticoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacobus C Buurstede
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Eduardo H L Umeoka
- Brain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Neuroscience and Behavioural Sciences Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Marcia Santos da Silva
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Harm J Krugers
- Brain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marian Joëls
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Onno C Meijer
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
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14
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Petković A, Chaudhury D. Encore: Behavioural animal models of stress, depression and mood disorders. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:931964. [PMID: 36004305 PMCID: PMC9395206 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.931964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal studies over the past two decades have led to extensive advances in our understanding of pathogenesis of depressive and mood disorders. Among these, rodent behavioural models proved to be of highest informative value. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of the most popular behavioural models with respect to physiological, circuit, and molecular biological correlates. Behavioural stress paradigms and behavioural tests are assessed in terms of outcomes, strengths, weaknesses, and translational value, especially in the domain of pharmacological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dipesh Chaudhury
- Laboratory of Neural Systems and Behaviour, Department of Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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15
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Barroca NCB, Della Santa G, Suchecki D, García-Cairasco N, Umeoka EHDL. Challenges in the use of animal models and perspectives for a translational view of stress and psychopathologies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 140:104771. [PMID: 35817171 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The neurobiology and development of treatments for stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders rely heavily on animal models. However, the complexity of these disorders makes it difficult to model them entirely, so only specific features of human psychopathology are emulated and these models should be used with great caution. Importantly, the effects of stress depend on multiple factors, like duration, context of exposure, and individual variability. Here we present a review on pre-clinical studies of stress-related disorders, especially those developed to model posttraumatic stress disorder, major depression, and anxiety. Animal models provide relevant evidence of the underpinnings of these disorders, as long as face, construct, and predictive validities are fulfilled. The translational challenges faced by scholars include reductionism and anthropomorphic/anthropocentric interpretation of the results instead of a more naturalistic and evolutionary understanding of animal behavior that must be overcome to offer a meaningful model. Other limitations are low statistical power of analysis, poor evaluation of individual variability, sex differences, and possible conflicting effects of stressors depending on specific windows in the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nayara Cobra Barreiro Barroca
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Science, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Giovanna Della Santa
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Science, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Deborah Suchecki
- Department of Psychobiology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Norberto García-Cairasco
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Science, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Department of Physiology, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Henrique de Lima Umeoka
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Science, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; School of Medicine, University Center UniCerrado, Goiatuba, GO, Brazil
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16
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Reemst K, Ruigrok SR, Bleker L, Naninck EFG, Ernst T, Kotah JM, Lucassen PJ, Roseboom TJ, Pollux BJA, de Rooij SR, Korosi A. Sex-dependence and comorbidities of the early-life adversity induced mental and metabolic disease risks: Where are we at? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 138:104627. [PMID: 35339483 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Early-life adversity (ELA) is a major risk factor for developing later-life mental and metabolic disorders. However, if and to what extent ELA contributes to the comorbidity and sex-dependent prevalence/presentation of these disorders remains unclear. We here comprehensively review and integrate human and rodent ELA (pre- and postnatal) studies examining mental or metabolic health in both sexes and discuss the role of the placenta and maternal milk, key in transferring maternal effects to the offspring. We conclude that ELA impacts mental and metabolic health with sex-specific presentations that depend on timing of exposure, and that human and rodent studies largely converge in their findings. ELA is more often reported to impact cognitive and externalizing domains in males, internalizing behaviors in both sexes and concerning the metabolic dimension, adiposity in females and insulin sensitivity in males. Thus, ELA seems to be involved in the origin of the comorbidity and sex-specific prevalence/presentation of some of the most common disorders in our society. Therefore, ELA-induced disease states deserve specific preventive and intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kitty Reemst
- University of Amsterdam, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, Brain Plasticity Group, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Silvie R Ruigrok
- University of Amsterdam, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, Brain Plasticity Group, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Bleker
- Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eva F G Naninck
- University of Amsterdam, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, Brain Plasticity Group, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tiffany Ernst
- Wageningen University, Department of Animal Sciences, Experimental Zoology &Evolutionary Biology Group, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Janssen M Kotah
- University of Amsterdam, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, Brain Plasticity Group, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Paul J Lucassen
- University of Amsterdam, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, Brain Plasticity Group, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Centre for Urban Mental Health, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tessa J Roseboom
- Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bart J A Pollux
- Wageningen University, Department of Animal Sciences, Experimental Zoology &Evolutionary Biology Group, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Susanne R de Rooij
- Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aniko Korosi
- University of Amsterdam, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, Brain Plasticity Group, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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17
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Effects of early life adversities upon memory processes and cognition in rodent models. Neuroscience 2022; 497:282-307. [PMID: 35525496 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to stressors in early postnatal life induces long-lasting modifications in brainfunction.Thisplasticity,an essential characteristic of the brain that enables adaptation to the environment, may also induce impairments in some psychophysiological functions, including learning and memory. Early life stress (ELS) has long-term effects on thehypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axisresponse to stressors, and has been reported to lead toneuroinflammation,altered levelsof neurotrophic factors, modifications inneurogenesis andsynaptic plasticity,with changes in neurotransmitter systems and network functioning. In this review, we focus on early postnatal stress in animal models and their effects on learning and memory.Many studies have reported ELS-induced impairments in different types of memories, including spatial memory, fear memory, recognition (both for objects and social) memory, working memory and reversal learning. Studies are not always in agreement, however, no effects, or sometimes facilitation, being reported, depending on the nature and intensity of the early intervention, as well as the age when the outcome was evaluated and the sex of the animals. When considering processes occurring after consolidation, related with memory maintenance or modification, there are a very reduced number of reports. Future studies addressing the mechanisms underlying memory changes for ELS should shed some light on the understanding of the different effects induced by stressors of different types and intensities on cognitive functions.
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18
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Disrupted presynaptic nectin1-based neuronal adhesion in the entorhinal-hippocampal circuit contributes to early-life stress-induced memory deficits. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:141. [PMID: 35379771 PMCID: PMC8980071 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01908-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The cell adhesion molecule nectin3 and its presynaptic partner nectin1 have been linked to early-life stress-related cognitive disorders, but how the nectin1-nectin3 system contributes to stress-induced neuronal, circuit, and cognitive abnormalities remains to be studied. Here we show that in neonatally stressed male mice, temporal order and spatial working memories, which require the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC)-CA1 pathway, as well as the structural integrity of CA1 pyramidal neurons were markedly impaired in adulthood. These cognitive and structural abnormalities in stressed mice were associated with decreased nectin levels in entorhinal and hippocampal subregions, especially reduced nectin1 level in the MEC and nectin3 level in the CA1. Postnatal suppression of nectin1 but not nectin3 level in the MEC impaired spatial memory, whereas conditional inactivation of nectin1 from MEC excitatory neurons reproduced the adverse effects of early-life stress on MEC-dependent memories and neuronal plasticity in CA1. Our data suggest that early-life stress disrupts presynaptic nectin1-mediated interneuronal adhesion in the MEC-CA1 pathway, which may in turn contribute to stress-induced synaptic and cognitive deficits.
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19
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Sharma SS, Srinivas Bharath MM, Doreswamy Y, Laxmi TR. Effects of early life stress during stress hyporesponsive period (SHRP) on anxiety and curiosity in adolescent rats. Exp Brain Res 2022; 240:1127-1138. [PMID: 35141770 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06319-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Repeated exposure to adverse experiences in early life, termed Early Life Stress (ELS), can increase anxiety disorders later in life. Anxiety is directly associated with curiosity, a form of intrinsic drive state associated with increased novelty-seeking behaviour and risk taking for challenging opportunities and could probably modulate learning and memory. In humans, elevated curiosity during adolescence tends to elicit increased exploration, novelty seeking, high risk-taking behaviour and heightened emotionality. Such behaviours are beneficial in maintaining social skills and cognitive functions later in life. We investigated whether ELS-induced anxiety impacts curiosity-like behaviour at adolescence in an animal model. ELS was induced by subjecting Sprague Dawley rat pups to maternal separation and isolation (MS) stress during the stress hyporesponsive period (SHRP) from post-natal days (PND) 4-PND 14. This rat model was tested for anxiety, spontaneous exploratory behaviour and curiosity-like behaviour in a custom-designed arena during adolescence (PND 30-45). ELS-induced changes in the stress were confirmed by corticosterone, while, basal dopamine level was estimated to understand the neurochemical basis of MS stress-induced changes in curiosity. We observed an increase in the levels of anxiety and intrinsic drive state such as curiosity-like behaviour, which was associated with elevated plasma corticosterone and dopamine in MS animals during adolescence suggesting the impact of ELS during SHRP on adolescent behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shruthi S Sharma
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, 560029, Karnataka, India
| | - M M Srinivas Bharath
- Department of Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neurotoxicology, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, India
| | - Yoganarasimha Doreswamy
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, 560029, Karnataka, India
| | - T Rao Laxmi
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, 560029, Karnataka, India.
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20
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Parker KN, Donovan MH, Smith K, Noble-Haeusslein LJ. Traumatic Injury to the Developing Brain: Emerging Relationship to Early Life Stress. Front Neurol 2021; 12:708800. [PMID: 34484104 PMCID: PMC8416304 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.708800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the high incidence of brain injuries in children, we have yet to fully understand the unique vulnerability of a young brain to an injury and key determinants of long-term recovery. Here we consider how early life stress may influence recovery after an early age brain injury. Studies of early life stress alone reveal persistent structural and functional impairments at adulthood. We consider the interacting pathologies imposed by early life stress and subsequent brain injuries during early brain development as well as at adulthood. This review outlines how early life stress primes the immune cells of the brain and periphery to elicit a heightened response to injury. While the focus of this review is on early age traumatic brain injuries, there is also a consideration of preclinical models of neonatal hypoxia and stroke, as each further speaks to the vulnerability of the brain and reinforces those characteristics that are common across each of these injuries. Lastly, we identify a common mechanistic trend; namely, early life stress worsens outcomes independent of its temporal proximity to a brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaila N. Parker
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Michael H. Donovan
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Kylee Smith
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Linda J. Noble-Haeusslein
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
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21
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Kooiker CL, Birnie MT, Baram TZ. The Paraventricular Thalamus: A Potential Sensor and Integrator of Emotionally Salient Early-Life Experiences. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:673162. [PMID: 34079442 PMCID: PMC8166219 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.673162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life experiences influence a broad spectrum of behaviors throughout the lifespan that contribute to resilience or vulnerability to mental health disorders. Yet, how emotionally salient experiences early in life are encoded, stored, and processed and the mechanisms by which they influence future behaviors remain poorly understood. The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is a key structure in modulating positive and negative experiences and behaviors in adults. However, little is known of the PVT's role in encoding and integrating emotionally salient experiences that occur during neonatal, infancy, and childhood periods. In this review, we (1) describe the functions and connections of the PVT and its regulation of behavior, (2) introduce novel technical approaches to elucidating the role of the PVT in mediating enduring changes in adult behaviors resulting from early-life experiences, and (3) conclude that PVT neurons of neonatal rodents are engaged by both positive and negative emotionally salient experiences, and their activation may enduringly govern future behavior-modulating PVT activity during emotionally salient contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra L. Kooiker
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Matthew T. Birnie
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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22
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Ke X, Fu Q, Sterrett J, Hillard CJ, Lane RH, Majnik A. Adverse maternal environment and western diet impairs cognitive function and alters hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor promoter methylation in male mice. Physiol Rep 2021; 8:e14407. [PMID: 32333646 PMCID: PMC7183239 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.14407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Adverse maternal environment (AME) and high‐fat diet in early childhood increase the risk of cognitive impairment and depression later in life. Cognitive impairment associates with hippocampal dysfunction. A key regulator of hippocampal function is the glucocorticoid receptor. Increased hippocampal GR expression associates with cognitive impairment and depression. Transcriptional control of GR relies in part upon the DNA methylation status at multiple alternative initiation sites that are tissue specific, with exon 1.7 being hippocampal specific. Increased exon 1.7 expression associates with upregulated hippocampal GR expression in early life stress animal models. However, the effects of AME combined with postweaning western diet (WD) on offspring behaviors and the expression of GR exon 1 variants in the hippocampus are unknown. We hypothesized that AME and postweaning WD would impair cognitive function and cause depression‐like behavior in offspring in conjunction with dysregulated hippocampal expression of total GR and exon 1.7 variant in mice. We found that AME‐WD impaired learning and memory in male adult offspring concurrently with increased hippocampal expression of total GR and GR 1.7. We also found that increased GR 1.7 expression was associated with decreased DNA methylation at the GR 1.7 promoter. We speculate that decreased DNA methylation at the GR 1.7 promoter plays a role in AME‐WD induced increase of GR in the hippocampus. This increased GR expression may subsequently contribute to hippocampus dysfunction and lead to the cognitive impairment seen in this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingrao Ke
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Qi Fu
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Jennifer Sterrett
- Neuroscience Research Center Rodent Behavior Core, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Cecilia J Hillard
- Neuroscience Research Center Rodent Behavior Core, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Robert H Lane
- Children's Mercy Research Institute, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Amber Majnik
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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23
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Taylor WW, Imhoff BR, Sathi ZS, Liu WY, Garza KM, Dias BG. Contributions of glucocorticoid receptors in cortical astrocytes to memory recall. Learn Mem 2021; 28:126-133. [PMID: 33723032 PMCID: PMC7970741 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053041.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Dysfunctions in memory recall lead to pathological fear; a hallmark of trauma-related disorders, like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Both, heightened recall of an association between a cue and trauma, as well as impoverished recall that a previously trauma-related cue is no longer a threat, result in a debilitating fear toward the cue. Glucocorticoid-mediated action via the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) influences memory recall. This literature has primarily focused on GRs expressed in neurons or ignored cell-type specific contributions. To ask how GR action in nonneuronal cells influences memory recall, we combined auditory fear conditioning in mice and the knockout of GRs in astrocytes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a brain region implicated in memory recall. We found that knocking out GRs in astrocytes of the PFC disrupted memory recall. Specifically, we found that knocking out GRs in astrocytes in the PFC (AstroGRKO) after fear conditioning resulted in higher levels of freezing to the CS+ tone when compared with controls (AstroGRintact). While we did not find any differences in extinction of fear toward the CS+ between these groups, AstroGRKO female but not male mice showed impaired recall of extinction training. These results suggest that GRs in cortical astrocytes contribute to memory recall. These data demonstrate the need to examine GR action in cortical astrocytes to elucidate the basic neurobiology underlying memory recall and potential mechanisms that underlie female-specific biases in the incidence of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- William W Taylor
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90007, USA
- Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics Program, Division of Research on Children, Youth, and Families, The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90027, USA
| | - Barry R Imhoff
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - Zakia Sultana Sathi
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - Wei Y Liu
- Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics Program, Division of Research on Children, Youth, and Families, The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90027, USA
| | - Kristie M Garza
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - Brian G Dias
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90007, USA
- Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics Program, Division of Research on Children, Youth, and Families, The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90027, USA
- Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90027, USA
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24
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Sprowles JLN, Vorhees CV, Williams MT. Impact of preweaning stress on long-term neurobehavioral outcomes in Sprague-Dawley rats: Differential effects of barren cage rearing, pup isolation, and the combination. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2021; 84:106956. [PMID: 33524508 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2021.106956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Two developmental stressors were compared in preweaning rats exposed to either one stressor or both. Stressors were barren cage rearing or maternal separation (pup isolation). 40 gravid Sprague-Dawley CD/IGS rats were randomly assigned to two cage conditions: standard (Std) cage or barren cage (Bar), 20 litters/condition throughout gestation and lactation. After delivery, litters were randomly culled to 4 males and 4 females. The second stressor was maternal separation: Two male/female pairs per litter were isolated from their dam 4 h/day (Iso) and two pairs were not (Norm). Hence, there were 4 conditions: Std-Norm, Std-Iso, Bar-Norm, and Bar-Iso. One pair/litter/stress condition received the following: elevated zero-maze (EZM), open-field, swim channel, Cincinnati water maze, conditioned fear, and open-field with methamphetamine challenge. The second pair/litter/condition received the light-dark test, swim channel, Morris water maze, forced swim, and EZM with diazepam challenge. Barren rearing reduced EZM time-in-open, whereas isolation rearing reduced open-field activity in males and increased it in females. Effects on straight channel swimming were minor. In the Cincinnati water maze test of egocentric learning, isolation rearing increased errors whereas barren cage housing reduced errors in combination with normal rearing. Barren cage with maternal separation (pup isolation) increased Cincinnati water maze escape latency but not errors. Barren cage housing reduced hyperactivity in response to methamphetamine. Isolation rearing increased time in open in the EZM after diazepam challenge. Trends were seen in the Morris water maze. These suggested that barren cage and isolation rearing in combination reduced latency on acquisition on days 1 and 2 in males, whereas females had increased latency on days 2 and 3. Combined exposure to two developmental stressors did not induce additive or synergistic effects, however the data show that these stressors had long-term effects with some evidence that the combination of both caused effects when either stressor alone did not, but synergism was not observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna L N Sprowles
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Charles V Vorhees
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
| | - Michael T Williams
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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25
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Barroca NCB, Baes CVW, Martins-Monteverde CMS, Bosaipo NB, Santos da Silva Umeoka M, Tejada J, Antunes-Rodrigues J, de Castro M, Juruena MF, Garcia-Cairasco N, Umeoka EHDL. Evaluation of the HPA Axis' Response to Pharmacological Challenges in Experimental and Clinical Early-Life Stress-Associated Depression. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0222-20.2020. [PMID: 33318074 PMCID: PMC7814478 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0222-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life stress (ELS) is associated with a higher risk of psychopathologies in adulthood, such as depression, which may be related to persistent changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ELS on the functioning of the HPA axis in clinical and experimental situations. Clinically, patients with current depressive episodes, with and without ELS, and healthy controls, composed the sample. Subjects took a capsule containing placebo, fludrocortisone, prednisolone, dexamethasone or spironolactone followed by an assessment of plasma cortisol the morning after. Experimentally, male Wistar rats were submitted to ELS protocol based on variable, unpredictable stressors from postnatal day (PND)1 to PND21. On PND65 animals were behaviorally evaluated through the forced-swimming test (FST). At PND68, pharmacological challenges started, using mifepristone, dexamethasone, spironolactone, or fludrocortisone, and corticosterone levels were determined 3 h after injections. Cortisol response of the patients did not differ significantly from healthy subjects, regardless of their ELS history, and it was lower after fludrocortisone, prednisolone, and dexamethasone compared with placebo, indicating the suppression of plasma cortisol by all these treatments. Animals exposed to ELS presented altered phenotype as indicated by an increased immobility time in the FST when compared with control, but no significant long-lasting effects of ELS were observed on the HPA axis response. Limitations on the way the volunteers were sampled may have contributed to the lack of ELS effects on the HPA axis, pointing out the need for further research to understand these complex phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nayara Cobra Barreiro Barroca
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-900, Brazil
| | - Cristiane Von Werne Baes
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-900, Brazil
| | | | - Nayanne Beckmann Bosaipo
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-900, Brazil
| | - Marcia Santos da Silva Umeoka
- Physiology Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-900, Brazil
- Research Group on Neurobiology of Behavior, Cognition and Emotions, Faculty of Medicine, University Center Unicerrado, Goiatuba, 75600-000, Brazil
| | - Julian Tejada
- Psychology Department, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, 49100-000, Brazil
| | - José Antunes-Rodrigues
- Physiology Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-900, Brazil
| | - Margaret de Castro
- Physiology Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-900, Brazil
| | - Mario Francisco Juruena
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-900, Brazil
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Kings College London, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Norberto Garcia-Cairasco
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-900, Brazil
- Physiology Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-900, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Henrique de Lima Umeoka
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-900, Brazil
- Research Group on Neurobiology of Behavior, Cognition and Emotions, Faculty of Medicine, University Center Unicerrado, Goiatuba, 75600-000, Brazil
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26
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Smith KE, Pollak SD. Early life stress and development: potential mechanisms for adverse outcomes. J Neurodev Disord 2020; 12:34. [PMID: 33327939 PMCID: PMC7745388 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-020-09337-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic and/or extreme stress in early life, often referred to as early adversity, childhood trauma, or early life stress, has been associated with a wide range of adverse effects on development. However, while early life stress has been linked to negative effects on a number of neural systems, the specific mechanisms through which early life stress influences development and individual differences in children's outcomes are still not well understood. MAIN TEXT The current paper reviews the existing literature on the neurobiological effects of early life stress and their ties to children's psychological and behavioral development. CONCLUSIONS Early life stress has persistent and pervasive effects on prefrontal-hypothalamic-amygdala and dopaminergic circuits that are at least partially mediated by alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function. However, to date, this research has primarily utilized methods of assessment that focus solely on children's event exposures. Incorporating assessment of factors that influence children's interpretation of stressors, along with stressful events, has the potential to provide further insight into the mechanisms contributing to individual differences in neurodevelopmental effects of early life stress. This can aid in further elucidating specific mechanisms through which these neurobiological changes influence development and contribute to risk for psychopathology and health disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Smith
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 S Highland Blvd, Rm 399, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
| | - Seth D Pollak
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 S Highland Blvd, Rm 399, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
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27
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Bolton JL, Schulmann A, Garcia-Curran MM, Regev L, Chen Y, Kamei N, Shao M, Singh-Taylor A, Jiang S, Noam Y, Molet J, Mortazavi A, Baram TZ. Unexpected Transcriptional Programs Contribute to Hippocampal Memory Deficits and Neuronal Stunting after Early-Life Adversity. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108511. [PMID: 33326786 PMCID: PMC7817243 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life adversity (ELA) is associated with lifelong memory deficits, yet the responsible mechanisms remain unclear. We impose ELA by rearing rat pups in simulated poverty, assess hippocampal memory, and probe changes in gene expression, their transcriptional regulation, and the consequent changes in hippocampal neuronal structure. ELA rats have poor hippocampal memory and stunted hippocampal pyramidal neurons associated with ~140 differentially expressed genes. Upstream regulators of the altered genes include glucocorticoid receptor and, unexpectedly, the transcription factor neuron-restrictive silencer factor (NRSF/REST). NRSF contributes critically to the memory deficits because blocking its function transiently following ELA rescues spatial memory and restores the dendritic arborization of hippocampal pyramidal neurons in ELA rats. Blocking NRSF function in vitro augments dendritic complexity of developing hippocampal neurons, suggesting that NRSF represses genes involved in neuronal maturation. These findings establish important, surprising contributions of NRSF to ELA-induced transcriptional programming that disrupts hippocampal maturation and memory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Bolton
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA; Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA
| | - Anton Schulmann
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA; Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA
| | - Megan M Garcia-Curran
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA; Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA
| | - Limor Regev
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA; Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA
| | - Yuncai Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA; Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA
| | - Noriko Kamei
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA; Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA
| | - Manlin Shao
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA; Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA
| | - Akanksha Singh-Taylor
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA; Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA
| | - Shan Jiang
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA
| | - Yoav Noam
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA; Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA
| | - Jenny Molet
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA; Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA
| | - Ali Mortazavi
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA
| | - Tallie Z Baram
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA; Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA.
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28
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A novel mouse model for vulnerability to alcohol dependence induced by early-life adversity. Neurobiol Stress 2020; 13:100269. [PMID: 33344722 PMCID: PMC7739069 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2020.100269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood adversity increases vulnerability to alcohol use disorders and preclinical models are needed to investigate the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. The present study modeled early-life adversity by rearing male and female C57BL/6J mouse pups in a limited bedding and nesting (LBN) environment, which induces erratic maternal care. As adults, mice were given limited access to two-bottle choice (2BC) alcohol drinking, combined or not with chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor inhalation to induce alcohol dependence. We tested the hypothesis that LBN rearing might exacerbate or facilitate the emergence of the motivational and affective effects of CIE. Consistent with our hypothesis, although LBN-reared males consumed the same baseline levels of alcohol as controls, they escalated their ethanol intake at an earlier stage of CIE exposure, i.e., after 4 rounds vs. 5 rounds for controls. In contrast, females were insensitive to both LBN rearing and CIE exposure. Males were further subjected to a behavioral test battery. Withdrawal from CIE-2BC increased digging activity and lowered mechanical nociceptive thresholds regardless of early-life conditions. On the other hand, LBN-reared CIE-2BC males showed reduced open arm exploration in the elevated plus maze and increased immobility in the tail suspension test compared to alcohol-naïve counterparts, while no group differences were detected among control-reared males. Finally, LBN rearing and alcohol exposure did not affect grooming in response to a sucrose spray (splash test), novel object recognition, or corticosterone levels. In summary, the LBN experience accelerates the transition from moderate to excessive alcohol drinking and produces additional indices of affective dysfunction during alcohol withdrawal in C57BL/6J male mice. Early-life adversity was generated by rearing C57BL/6J mouse pups in a limited bedding and nesting (LBN) environment. Alcohol dependence was induced in adulthood via chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) inhalation. The LBN experience accelerated alcohol intake escalation in males. LBN exacerbated affective disturbances upon CIE withdrawal in males. Alcohol intake in females was insensitive to both LBN and CIE.
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29
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Corticotropin-releasing factor infusion in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis of lactating mice alters maternal care and induces behavioural phenotypes in offspring. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19985. [PMID: 33204022 PMCID: PMC7672063 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77118-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The peripartum period is accompanied by numerous physiological and behavioural adaptations organised by the maternal brain. These changes are essential for adequate expression of maternal behaviour, thereby ensuring proper development of the offspring. The corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) plays a key role in a variety of behaviours accompanying stress, anxiety, and depression. There is also evidence that CRF contributes to maladaptations during the peripartum period. We investigated the effects of CRF in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) of lactating mice during maternal care and analysed locomotor activity and anxiety-like behaviour in the offspring. The BNST has been implicated in anxiety behaviour and regulation of the stress response. The effects of intra-BNST CRF administration were compared with those induced by the limited bedding (LB) procedure, a model that produces altered maternal behaviour. BALB/cJ dams were exposed to five infusions of CRF or saline into the BNST in the first weeks after birth while the LB dams were exposed to limited nesting material from postnatal days (P) 2–9. Maternal behaviour was recorded in intercalated days, from P1-9. Offspring anxiety-like behaviour was assessed during adulthood using the open-field, elevated plus-maze, and light/dark tests. Both intra-BNST CRF and LB exposure produced altered maternal care, represented by decreased arched-back nursing and increased frequency of exits from the nest. These changes in maternal care resulted in robust sex-based differences in the offspring’s behavioural responses during adulthood. Females raised by CRF-infused dams exhibited increased anxiety-like behaviour, whereas males presented a significant decrease in anxiety. On the other hand, both males and females raised by dams exposed to LB showed higher locomotor activity. Our study demonstrates that maternal care is impaired by intra-BNST CRF administrations, and these maladaptations are similar to exposure to adverse early environments. These procedures, however, produce distinct phenotypes in mice during young adulthood and suggest sex-based differences in the susceptibility to poor maternal care.
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30
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Eagleson KL, Villaneuva M, Southern RM, Levitt P. Proteomic and mitochondrial adaptations to early-life stress are distinct in juveniles and adults. Neurobiol Stress 2020; 13:100251. [PMID: 33344706 PMCID: PMC7739184 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2020.100251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to early-life stress (ELS) increases risk for poor mental and physical health outcomes that emerge at different stages across the lifespan. Yet, how age interacts with ELS to impact the expression of specific phenotypes remains largely unknown. An established limited-bedding paradigm was used to induce ELS in mouse pups over the early postnatal period. Initial analyses focused on the hippocampus, based on documented sensitivity to ELS in humans and various animal models, and the large body of data reporting anatomical and physiological outcomes in this structure using this ELS paradigm. An unbiased discovery proteomics approach revealed distinct adaptations in the non-nuclear hippocampal proteome in male versus female offspring at two distinct developmental stages: juvenile and adult. Gene ontology and KEGG pathway analyses revealed significant enrichment in proteins associated with mitochondria and the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) pathway in response to ELS in female hippocampus only. To determine whether the protein adaptations to ELS reflected altered function, mitochondrial respiration (driven through complexes II-IV) and complex I activity were measured in isolated hippocampal mitochondria using a Seahorse X96 Flux analyzer and immunocapture ELISA, respectively. ELS had no effect on basal respiration in either sex at either age. In contrast, ELS increased OXPHOS capacity in juvenile males and females, and reduced OXPHOS capacity in adult females but not adult males. A similar pattern of ELS-induced changes was observed for complex I activity. These data suggest that initial adaptations in juvenile hippocampus due to ELS were not sustained in adults. Mitochondrial adaptations to ELS were also exhibited peripherally by liver. Overall, the temporal distinctions in mitochondrial responses to ELS show that ELS-generated adaptations and outcomes are complex over the lifespan. This may contribute to differences in the timing of appearance of mental and physical disturbances, as well as potential sex differences that influence only select outcomes.
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Key Words
- AA, antimycin A
- ADP, adenosine diphosphate
- CI, confidence interval
- Complex I activity
- ELS, early-life stress
- Early-life stress
- FCCP, carbonyl cyanide-4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenylhydrazone
- GO, gene ontology
- HCD, high energy C-trap dissociation
- Hippocampus
- Liver
- MS/MS, tandem mass spectrometry
- Mitochondrial respiration
- OCR, oxygen consumption rate
- OXPHOS, oxidative phosphorylation
- P, postnatal day
- Proteomics
- SCX, strong cation exchange
- iTRAQ, isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation
- oligo, oligomycin
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathie L. Eagleson
- Department of Pediatrics and Program in Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics, USA
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Miranda Villaneuva
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca M. Southern
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Pat Levitt
- Department of Pediatrics and Program in Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics, USA
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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31
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Kim J, Park M, Lee C, Ha JJ, Choi JS, Kim CH, Seok JH. Maladaptive Alterations of Defensive Response Following Developmental Complex Stress in Rats. CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 18:412-422. [PMID: 32702220 PMCID: PMC7383007 DOI: 10.9758/cpn.2020.18.3.412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Objective Despite the etiological significance of complex developmental trauma in adult personality disorders and treatment-resistant depression, neurobiological studies have been rare due to the lack of useful animal models. As a first step, we devised an animal model to investigate the effects of multiple trauma-like stress during different developmental periods. Methods Twenty-one male Sprague-Dawley rats were classified into 3 groups based on the stress protocol: fear conditioning control (FCC, n = 6), complex stress (ComS, n = 9), and control (n = 6). While the ComS experienced three types of stress (maternal separation, juvenile isolation, electric foot shock), the FCC only experienced an electric foot shock stress and the control never experienced any. We compared fear responses at postnatal day (PND) 29 and PND 56 through freezing time per episode (FTpE), total freezing time (TFT), total freezing episodes (TFE), and ultrasonic vocalization (USV). Results ComS showed the longest FTpE in the conditioned fear response test. ComS and FCC exhibited the longer TFT and these two groups only displayed USV. ComS show difference TFE between PND 29 and PND 56. Conclusion The results of this investigation show that complex stress may affect not quantity of fear response but characteristics of fear response. Longer FTpE may be associated with tonic immobility which could be considered as a failed self-protective reaction and might be analogous to a sign of inappropriate coping strategy and self-dysregulation in complex trauma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhyung Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.,Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Minkyung Park
- Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.,Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Chiheon Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.,Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jung Jin Ha
- Department of Psychology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - June-Seek Choi
- Department of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Chul Hoon Kim
- Department of Pharmacology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jeong-Ho Seok
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.,Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.,Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
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32
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Ding J, Chen X, da Silva MS, Lingeman J, Han F, Meijer OC. Effects of RU486 treatment after single prolonged stress depend on the post-stress interval. Mol Cell Neurosci 2020; 108:103541. [PMID: 32858150 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2020.103541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The Single Prolonged Stress protocol is considered a model for PTSD, as it induces long lasting changes in rat behaviour and endocrine regulation. Previous work demonstrated that some of these changes can be prevented by treatment with the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU486, administered a week after the stressor. The current study evaluated the effects of an earlier intervention with RU486, as evaluated 1 week after SPS-exposure. Most RU486 effects occurred independent of prior stress, except for the reversal of a stress-induced increase in locomotor behaviour. The accompanying changes in gene expression depended on gene, brain region, and time. DNA methylation of the robustly down-regulated Fkbp5 gene was dissociated of changes in mRNA expression. The findings reinforce the long term effects of GR antagonist treatment, but also emphasize the need to evaluate changes over time to allow the identification of robust correlates between gene expression and behavioural/endocrine outcome of stressful experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinlan Ding
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; PTSD Lab, Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Xinzhao Chen
- PTSD Lab, Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Marcia Santos da Silva
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jolanthe Lingeman
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Fang Han
- PTSD Lab, Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China.
| | - Onno C Meijer
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.
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Ferrara NC, Mrackova E, Loh MK, Padival M, Rosenkranz JA. Fear Learning Enhances Prefrontal Cortical Suppression of Auditory Thalamic Inputs to the Amygdala in Adults, but Not Adolescents. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21083008. [PMID: 32344598 PMCID: PMC7215292 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21083008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is characterized by increased susceptibility to the development of fear- and anxiety-related disorders. Adolescents also show elevated fear responding and aversive learning that is resistant to behavioral interventions, which may be related to alterations in the circuitry supporting fear learning. These features are linked to ongoing adolescent development of medial prefrontal cortical (PFC) inputs to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) that regulate neural activity and contribute to the refinement of fear responses. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the extent of PFC inhibition of the BLA following fear learning is greater in adults than in adolescents, using anesthetized in vivo recordings to measure local field potentials (LFPs) evoked by stimulation of PFC or auditory thalamic (MgN) inputs to BLA. We found that BLA LFPs evoked by stimulation of MgN inputs were enhanced in adults following fear conditioning. Fear conditioning also led to reduced summation of BLA LFPs evoked in response to PFC train stimulation, and increased the capacity of PFC inhibition of MgN inputs in adults. These data suggest that fear conditioning recruits additional inhibitory capacity by PFC inputs to BLA in adults, but that this capacity is weaker in adolescents. These results provide insight into how the development of PFC inputs may relate to age differences in memory retention and persistence following aversive learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole C. Ferrara
- Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA; (E.M.); (M.K.L.); (M.P.); (J.A.R.)
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Eliska Mrackova
- Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA; (E.M.); (M.K.L.); (M.P.); (J.A.R.)
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - Maxine K. Loh
- Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA; (E.M.); (M.K.L.); (M.P.); (J.A.R.)
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - Mallika Padival
- Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA; (E.M.); (M.K.L.); (M.P.); (J.A.R.)
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - J. Amiel Rosenkranz
- Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA; (E.M.); (M.K.L.); (M.P.); (J.A.R.)
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
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White JD, Kaffman A. The Moderating Effects of Sex on Consequences of Childhood Maltreatment: From Clinical Studies to Animal Models. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:1082. [PMID: 31680821 PMCID: PMC6797834 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress has pronounced effects on the brain, and thus behavioral outputs. This is particularly true when the stress occurs during vulnerable points in development. A review of the clinical literature regarding the moderating effects of sex on psychopathology in individuals exposed to childhood maltreatment (CM) is complicated by a host of variables that are difficult to quantify and control in clinical settings. As a result, the precise role of sex in moderating the consequences of CM remains elusive. In this review, we explore the rationale for studying this important question and their implications for treatment. We examine this issue using the threat/deprivation conceptual framework and highlight a growing body of work demonstrating important sex differences in human studies and in animal models of early life stress (ELS). The challenges and obstacles for effectively studying this question are reviewed and are followed by recommendations on how to move forward at the clinical and preclinical settings. We hope that this review will help inspire additional studies on this important topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordon D White
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Arie Kaffman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
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Ding J, da Silva MS, Lingeman J, Chen X, Shi Y, Han F, Meijer OC. Late glucocorticoid receptor antagonism changes the outcome of adult life stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 107:169-178. [PMID: 31132569 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stressors activate a wide spectrum of interacting hormonal and neuronal systems resulting in behavioral and physiological responses, with consequences for the development of psychopathology. Several recent studies demonstrated that treatment with the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist RU486 during adulthood normalized effects of early life stress. We aimed to evaluate the potential of RU486 to reverse stress-induced changes in an animal model of adult stress. METHOD We employed the single-prolonged stress (SPS) model as a multimodal stress exposure protocol in male rats. SPS rats and unstressed controls were treated with RU486 on days 8, 9, 10 after stress exposure and the effects of treatment were evaluated after another 4 days. We determined body weight gain, corticosterone levels, behavioral reactivity in anxiety tests, and brain gene expression of c-fos, corticosteroid receptors, drivers of the stress response and genes (epi-)genitally linked to PTSD. RESULTS RU486 affected body weight gain, corticosterone levels and open field behavior only in SPS rats. RU486 had history-independent effects in reducing fear in the elevated plus maze and fear conditioning behavior. Gene expression analysis showed a diversity of in- and interdependent effects of stress and RU486. CONCLUSION The effects of RU486 applied 1 week after stress and measured 4 days after treatment demonstrate that in the state of post-SPS the GR-dependence of homeostatic processes has changed. This suggests that GR-mediated processes are part of allostatic regulation after adult stress. The normalization of a number of SPS-effects after RU486 treatment reinforces the potential of targeting GR for treatment of stress-related psychopathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinlan Ding
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; PTSD Lab, Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Marcia Santos da Silva
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University Medical Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jolanthe Lingeman
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Xinzhao Chen
- PTSD Lab, Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Yuxiu Shi
- PTSD Lab, Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Fang Han
- PTSD Lab, Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China.
| | - Onno C Meijer
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.
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Lesuis SL, Lucassen PJ, Krugers HJ. Early life stress amplifies fear responses and hippocampal synaptic potentiation in the APPswe/PS1dE9 Alzheimer mouse model. Neuroscience 2019; 454:151-161. [PMID: 31302265 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 05/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive deficits and alterations in emotional behaviour are typical features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Moreover, exposure to stress or adversity during the early life period has been associated with an acceleration of cognitive deficits and increased AD pathology in transgenic AD mouse models. Whether and how early life adversity affects fear memory in AD mice remains elusive. We therefore investigated whether exposure to early life stress (ELS) alters fear learning in APPswe/PS1dE9 mice, a classic mouse model for AD, and whether this is accompanied by alterations in hippocampal synaptic potentiation, an important cellular substrate for learning and memory. Transgenic APPswe/PS1dE9 mice were subjected to ELS by housing the dams and her pups with limited nesting and bedding material from postnatal days 2-9. Following a fear conditioning paradigm, 12-month-old ELS-exposed APPswe/PS1dE9 mice displayed enhanced contextual freezing behaviour, both in the conditioning context and in a novel context. ELS-exposed APPswe/PS1dE9 mice also displayed enhanced hippocampal synaptic potentiation, even in the presence of the GluN2B antagonist Ro25-6981 (which prevented synaptic potentiation in control mice). No differences in the level of PSD-95 or synaptophysin were observed between the groups. We conclude that in APPswe/PS1dE9 mice, ELS increases fear memory in the conditioning context as well as a novel context, which is accompanied by aberrant hippocampal synaptic potentiation. These results may help to understand how individual differences in the vulnerability to develop AD arise and emphasise the importance of the early postnatal time window in these differences. This article is part of Special Issue entitled: Lifestyle and Brain Metaplasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie L Lesuis
- Brain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Paul J Lucassen
- Brain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Harm J Krugers
- Brain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Probiotic treatment restores normal developmental trajectories of fear memory retention in maternally separated infant rats. Neuropharmacology 2019; 153:53-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.04.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Revised: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Umeoka EHL, Robinson EJ, Turimella SL, van Campen JS, Motta-Teixeira LC, Sarabdjitsingh RA, Garcia-Cairasco N, Braun K, de Graan PN, Joëls M. Hyperthermia-induced seizures followed by repetitive stress are associated with age-dependent changes in specific aspects of the mouse stress system. J Neuroendocrinol 2019; 31:e12697. [PMID: 30773738 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Stress is among the most frequently self-reported factors provoking epileptic seizures in children and adults. It is still unclear, however, why some people display stress-sensitive seizures and others do not. Recently, we showed that young epilepsy patients with stress-sensitive seizures exhibit a dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis. Most likely, this dysregulation gradually develops, and is triggered by stressors occurring early in life (early-life stress [ELS]). ELS may be particularly impactful when overlapping with the period of epileptogenesis. To examine this in a controlled and prospective manner, the present study investigated the effect of repetitive variable stressors or control treatment between postnatal day (PND) 12 and 24 in male mice exposed on PND10 to hyperthermia (HT)-induced prolonged seizures (control: normothermia). A number of peripheral and central indices of HPA-axis activity were evaluated at pre-adolescent and young adult age (ie, at PND25 and 90, respectively). At PND25 but not at PND90, body weight gain and absolute as well as relative (to body weight) thymus weight were reduced by ELS (vs control), whereas relative adrenal weight was enhanced, confirming the effectiveness of the stress treatment. Basal and stress-induced corticosterone levels were unaffected, though, by ELS at both ages. HT by itself did not affect any of these peripheral markers of HPA-axis activity, nor did it interact with ELS. However, centrally we did observe age-specific interaction effects of HT and ELS with regard to hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor mRNA expression, neurogenesis with the immature neurone marker doublecortin and the number of hilar (ectopic) granule cells using Prox1 staining. This lends some support to the notion that exposure to repetitive stress after HT-induced seizures may dysregulate central components of the stress system in an age-dependent manner. Such dysregulation could be one of the mechanisms conferring higher vulnerability of individuals with epilepsy to develop seizures in the face of stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo H L Umeoka
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Edward J Robinson
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sada Lakshmi Turimella
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jolien S van Campen
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Lívia C Motta-Teixeira
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - R Angela Sarabdjitsingh
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Norberto Garcia-Cairasco
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
- Physiology Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Kees Braun
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Pierre N de Graan
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marian Joëls
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Papilloud A, Veenit V, Tzanoulinou S, Riccio O, Zanoletti O, Guillot de Suduiraut I, Grosse J, Sandi C. Peripubertal stress-induced heightened aggression: modulation of the glucocorticoid receptor in the central amygdala and normalization by mifepristone treatment. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:674-682. [PMID: 29941978 PMCID: PMC6372583 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0110-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Despite the enormous negative impact of excessive aggression for individuals and societies, there is a paucity of treatments. Here, using a peripubertal stress model of heightened aggression in rats, we investigated the involvement of the glucocorticoid system and tested the effectiveness of antiglucocorticoid treatment to normalize behavior. We assessed peripubertal stress-induced changes in glucocorticoid (GR) and mineralocorticoid (MR) gene expression in different amygdala nuclei and hippocampus, and report a specific increase in GR mRNA expression in the central amygdala (CeA). Administration of mifepristone (10 mg/kg), a GR antagonist, before stressor exposure at peripuberty prevented the habituation of plasma corticosterone responses observed throughout the stress protocol. This treatment also prevented the increase in aggression and GR expression in the CeA observed in peripubertally stressed rats at adulthood. Viral downregulation of CeA GR expression at adulthood led to reduced aggression. Subsequently, we showed that a brief, 3-day, treatment with mifepristone at adulthood was effective to normalize the abnormal aggression phenotype in peripubertally stressed rats. Our results support a key role for GR actions during peripubertal stress for the long-term programming of heightened aggression. Strikingly, they also support the translational interest of testing the effectiveness of mifepristone treatment to diminish reactive aggression in early adversity-related human psychopathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurelie Papilloud
- 0000000121839049grid.5333.6Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vandana Veenit
- 0000000121839049grid.5333.6Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland ,0000 0004 1937 0626grid.4714.6Present Address: Departement of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stamatina Tzanoulinou
- 0000000121839049grid.5333.6Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland ,0000 0001 2322 4988grid.8591.5Present Address: Departement of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Orbicia Riccio
- 0000000121839049grid.5333.6Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olivia Zanoletti
- 0000000121839049grid.5333.6Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle Guillot de Suduiraut
- 0000000121839049grid.5333.6Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jocelyn Grosse
- 0000000121839049grid.5333.6Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Lesuis SL, Kaplick PM, Lucassen PJ, Krugers HJ. Treatment with the glutamate modulator riluzole prevents early life stress-induced cognitive deficits and impairments in synaptic plasticity in APPswe/PS1dE9 mice. Neuropharmacology 2019; 150:175-183. [PMID: 30794835 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental factors like stress affect age-related cognitive deficits and promote Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related pathology in mice. Excess glutamate has been proposed as a possible mediator underlying these effects in the hippocampus, a vulnerable brain region implicated in learning and memory. METHODS Here, we examined a) whether stress applied during a sensitive developmental period early in life affects later synaptic plasticity, learning and memory and plaque load in the APPswe/PS1dE9 mouse model for Alzheimer's disease and b) whether these effects could be rescued using long-term treatment with the glutamate modulator riluzole. RESULTS Our results demonstrate that ELS impairs synaptic plasticity in 6-month-old mice and increases plaque load in 12-month-old APPswe/PS1dE9 mice, while impairing flexible spatial learning in the Barnes maze at this age. Notably, spatial learning correlated well with hippocampal expression of the transporter EAAT2, which is important for extracellular glutamate uptake. The changes in LTP, plaque load and cognition after ELS were all prevented by riluzole treatment that started from post-weaning. CONCLUSION These results suggest that normalising glutamate signalling may be a viable therapeutic strategy for treating vulnerable individuals at risk of developing stress-aggravated AD, particularly in relation to adverse early life experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie L Lesuis
- Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Paul M Kaplick
- Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Paul J Lucassen
- Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Harm J Krugers
- Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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Bolton JL, Short AK, Simeone KA, Daglian J, Baram TZ. Programming of Stress-Sensitive Neurons and Circuits by Early-Life Experiences. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:30. [PMID: 30833892 PMCID: PMC6387907 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Early-life experiences influence brain structure and function long-term, contributing to resilience or vulnerability to stress and stress-related disorders. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms by which early-life experiences program specific brain cells and circuits to shape life-long cognitive and emotional functions is crucial. We identify the population of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-expressing neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) as a key, early target of early-life experiences. Adverse experiences increase excitatory neurotransmission onto PVN CRH cells, whereas optimal experiences, such as augmented and predictable maternal care, reduce the number and function of glutamatergic inputs onto this cell population. Altered synaptic neurotransmission is sufficient to initiate large-scale, enduring epigenetic re-programming within CRH-expressing neurons, associated with stress resilience and additional cognitive and emotional outcomes. Thus, the mechanisms by which early-life experiences influence the brain provide tractable targets for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Bolton
- Departments of Pediatrics, Anatomy/Neurobiology, Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Annabel Katherine Short
- Departments of Pediatrics, Anatomy/Neurobiology, Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Kristina A Simeone
- Departments of Pediatrics, Anatomy/Neurobiology, Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Jennifer Daglian
- Departments of Pediatrics, Anatomy/Neurobiology, Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Tallie Z Baram
- Departments of Pediatrics, Anatomy/Neurobiology, Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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Lesuis SL, Lucassen PJ, Krugers HJ. Early life stress impairs fear memory and synaptic plasticity; a potential role for GluN2B. Neuropharmacology 2019; 149:195-203. [PMID: 30641077 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Programming of the brain by early life stress has been associated with alterations in structure and function of the dorsal hippocampus. Yet, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely elusive. In this study, we examined the effects of early life stress (ELS) - by housing mouse dams with limited nesting and bedding material from postnatal days 2-9 and examined in 6 month old offspring; 1) auditory fear conditioning, 2) expression of the hippocampal N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) subunits 2A and 2B (GluN2A, GluN2B), and expression of PSD-95 and synaptophysin, and 3) short- and long-term (LTP) synaptic plasticity. Given its critical role in NMDA receptor function and synaptic plasticity, we further examined the role of GluN2B in effects of ELS on synaptic plasticity and fear memory formation. We demonstrate that ELS impaired fear memory in 6 month old mice and decreased hippocampal LTP as well as the paired-pulse ratio (PPR). ELS also reduced hippocampal GluN2B expression. Interestingly, pharmacological blockade of GluN2B with the selective antagonist Ro25 6981 was less effective to reduce synaptic plasticity in ELS mice, and was also ineffective to impair memory retrieval in ELS mice. These studies suggest that ELS reduces hippocampal synaptic plasticity and fear memory formation and hampers GluN2B receptor function. As such, GluN2B may provide an important target for future strategies to prevent lasting ELS effects on cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie L Lesuis
- Brain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Paul J Lucassen
- Brain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Harm J Krugers
- Brain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Dalm S, Karssen AM, Meijer OC, Belanoff JK, de Kloet ER. Resetting the Stress System with a Mifepristone Challenge. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2018; 39:503-522. [PMID: 30173378 PMCID: PMC6469632 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-018-0614-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Psychotic depression is characterized by elevated circulating cortisol, and high daily doses of the glucocorticoid/progesterone antagonist mifepristone for 1 week are required for significant improvement. Using a rodent model, we find that such high doses of mifepristone are needed because the antagonist is rapidly degraded and poorly penetrates the blood–brain barrier, but seems to facilitate the entry of cortisol. We also report that in male C57BL/6J mice, after a 7-day treatment with a high dose of mifepristone, basal blood corticosterone levels were similar to that of vehicle controls. This is surprising because after the first mifepristone challenge, corticosterone remained elevated for about 16 h, and then decreased towards vehicle control levels at 24 h. At that time, stress-induced corticosterone levels of the 1xMIF were sevenfold higher than the 7xMIF group, the latter response being twofold lower than controls. The 1xMIF mice showed behavioral hyperactivity during exploration of the circular hole board, while the 7xMIF mice rather engaged in serial search patterns. To explain this rapid reset of corticosterone secretion upon recurrent mifepristone administration, we suggest the following: (i) A rebound glucocorticoid feedback after cessation of mifepristone treatment. (ii) Glucocorticoid agonism in transrepression and recruitment of cell-specific coregulator cocktails. (iii) A more prominent role of brain MR function in control of stress circuit activity. An overview table of neuroendocrine MIF effects is provided. The data are of interest for understanding the mechanistic underpinning of stress system reset as treatment strategy for stress-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergiu Dalm
- Division of Medical Pharmacology, Leiden/Amsterdam Center for Drug Research and Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Adriaan M Karssen
- Division of Medical Pharmacology, Leiden/Amsterdam Center for Drug Research and Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Onno C Meijer
- Division of Medical Pharmacology, Leiden/Amsterdam Center for Drug Research and Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Room C-7-44, Postal zone C7-Q, PO Box 9600, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - E Ronald de Kloet
- Division of Medical Pharmacology, Leiden/Amsterdam Center for Drug Research and Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands. .,Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Room C-7-44, Postal zone C7-Q, PO Box 9600, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Abstract
The brain is continuously exposed to varying levels of adrenal corticosteroid hormones such as corticosterone in rodents and cortisol in humans. Natural fluctuations occur due to ultradian and circadian variations or are caused by exposure to stressful situations. Brain cells express two types of corticosteroid receptors, i.e. mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors, which differ in distribution and affinity. These receptors can mediate both rapid non-genomic and slow gene-mediated neuronal actions. As a consequence of these factors, natural (e.g. stress-induced) shifts in corticosteroid level are associated with a complex mosaic of time- and region-dependent changes in neuronal activity. A series of experiments in humans and rodents have revealed that these time- and region-dependent cellular characteristics are also reflected in distinct cognitive patterns after stress. Thus, directly after a peak of corticosteroids, attention and vigilance are increased, and areas involved in emotional responses and simple behavioral strategies show enhanced activity. In the aftermath of stress, areas involved in higher cognitive functions become activated allowing individuals to link stressful events to the specific context and to store information for future use. Both phases of the brain's response to stress are important to face a continuously changing environment, promoting adaptation at the short as well as long term. We argue that a balanced response during the two phases is essential for resilience. This balance may become compromised after repeated stress exposure, particularly in genetically vulnerable individuals and aggravate disease manifestation. This not only applies to psychiatric disorders but also to neurological diseases such as epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marian Joëls
- Department of Translational NeuroscienceBrain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- University of GroningenUniversity Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Reduced resting-state functional connectivity of the basolateral amygdala to the medial prefrontal cortex in preweaning rats exposed to chronic early-life stress. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:3711-3729. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1720-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/15/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Godoy LD, Rossignoli MT, Delfino-Pereira P, Garcia-Cairasco N, de Lima Umeoka EH. A Comprehensive Overview on Stress Neurobiology: Basic Concepts and Clinical Implications. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:127. [PMID: 30034327 PMCID: PMC6043787 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 355] [Impact Index Per Article: 59.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress is recognized as an important issue in basic and clinical neuroscience research, based upon the founding historical studies by Walter Canon and Hans Selye in the past century, when the concept of stress emerged in a biological and adaptive perspective. A lot of research after that period has expanded the knowledge in the stress field. Since then, it was discovered that the response to stressful stimuli is elaborated and triggered by the, now known, stress system, which integrates a wide diversity of brain structures that, collectively, are able to detect events and interpret them as real or potential threats. However, different types of stressors engage different brain networks, requiring a fine-tuned functional neuroanatomical processing. This integration of information from the stressor itself may result in a rapid activation of the Sympathetic-Adreno-Medullar (SAM) axis and the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, the two major components involved in the stress response. The complexity of the stress response is not restricted to neuroanatomy or to SAM and HPA axes mediators, but also diverge according to timing and duration of stressor exposure, as well as its short- and/or long-term consequences. The identification of neuronal circuits of stress, as well as their interaction with mediator molecules over time is critical, not only for understanding the physiological stress responses, but also to understand their implications on mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lívea Dornela Godoy
- Physiology Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Matheus Teixeira Rossignoli
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Polianna Delfino-Pereira
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Norberto Garcia-Cairasco
- Physiology Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Henrique de Lima Umeoka
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Manzano-Nieves G, Gaillard M, Gallo M, Bath KG. Early life stress impairs contextual threat expression in female, but not male, mice. Behav Neurosci 2018; 132:247-257. [PMID: 29781628 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is associated with altered processing of threat signals, and increased lifetime risk of anxiety and affective pathology, disorders that disproportionately affect females. We tested the impact of a limited bedding paradigm of ELS (from P4-11) on contextual threat learning, context memory, footshock sensitivity, and anxietylike behavior, in adult male and female mice. To examine contextual threat learning, mice conditioned by context/footshock association were tested 24 hr later for the context memory. To determine the effect of ELS on footshock sensitivity, a separate cohort of mice were exposed to footshocks of increasing intensity (0.06 to 0.40 mA) and behavioral responses (jump and audible vocalization) were assessed by observers blind to treatment condition, sex, and cycle stage. ELS impaired context memory in female, but not male, mice. ELS increased footshock-induced threshold to vocalize, but not to jump, in both sexes. In female mice, this effect was most apparent during estrus. Decreased body weight, indicative of higher stress incurred by an individual mouse, correlated with increased threshold to jump in both sexes reared in ELS, and to audibly vocalize in ELS females. As ELS effects on shock sensitivity were present in both sexes, the contextual recall deficit in females was not likely driven by changes in the salience of aversive footshocks. No effects on anxietylike behavior, as measured in the elevated plus maze (EPM), were observed. More work is needed to better understand the impact of ELS on both somatic and gonadal development, and their potential contribution to threat learning. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kevin G Bath
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University
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de Kloet ER, Meijer OC, de Nicola AF, de Rijk RH, Joëls M. Importance of the brain corticosteroid receptor balance in metaplasticity, cognitive performance and neuro-inflammation. Front Neuroendocrinol 2018; 49:124-145. [PMID: 29428549 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2018.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Bruce McEwen's discovery of receptors for corticosterone in the rat hippocampus introduced higher brain circuits in the neuroendocrinology of stress. Subsequently, these receptors were identified as mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) that are involved in appraisal processes, choice of coping style, encoding and retrieval. The MR-mediated actions on cognition are complemented by slower actions via glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) on contextualization, rationalization and memory storage of the experience. These sequential phases in cognitive performance depend on synaptic metaplasticity that is regulated by coordinate MR- and GR activation. The receptor activation includes recruitment of coregulators and transcription factors as determinants of context-dependent specificity in steroid action; they can be modulated by genetic variation and (early) experience. Interestingly, inflammatory responses to damage seem to be governed by a similarly balanced MR:GR-mediated action as the initiating, terminating and priming mechanisms involved in stress-adaptation. We conclude with five questions challenging the MR:GR balance hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- E R de Kloet
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - O C Meijer
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - A F de Nicola
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrine Biochemistry, Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - R H de Rijk
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands & Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands.
| | - M Joëls
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Targeting glucocorticoid receptors prevents the effects of early life stress on amyloid pathology and cognitive performance in APP/PS1 mice. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:53. [PMID: 29491368 PMCID: PMC5830444 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0101-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to chronic stress or elevated glucocorticoid hormone levels in adult life has been associated with cognitive deficits and an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Since exposure to stress during early life enhances stress-responsiveness and lastingly affects cognition in adult life, we here investigated; (i) whether chronic early life stress (ELS) affects AD pathology and cognition in middle-aged APPswe/PS1dE9 mice, and (ii) whether it is still possible to rescue these late effects by briefly blocking glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) at a translationally relevant, middle age. Transgenic APPswe/PS1dE9 mice were subjected to ELS by housing dams and pups with limited nesting and bedding material from postnatal days 2-9 only. In 6- and 12-month-old offspring, this resulted in enhanced hippocampal amyloid-β (Aβ)-40 and -42 levels, and in reduced cognitive flexibility, that correlated well with the Aβ42 levels. In parallel, CORT levels and BACE1 levels were significantly elevated. Surprisingly, blocking GRs for only 3 days at 12 months of age reduced CORT levels, reduced hippocampal Aβ40 and -42, and β-site APP-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) levels, and notably rescued the cognitive deficits in 12-month-old APPswe/PS1dE9 mice. These mouse data demonstrate that exposure to stress during the sensitive period early in life influences later amyloid pathology and cognition in genetically predisposed, mutant mice, and as such, may increase AD vulnerability. The fact that a short treatment with a GR antagonist at middle age lastingly reduced Aβ levels and rescued the cognitive deficits after ELS, highlights the therapeutic potential of this drug for reducing amyloid pathology.
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